Music-book holder.



No. 642,725. Patented Feb. 6, I900. S. A. SHELTON.

MUSIC 800K HOLDER.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

SAMUEL A. SHELTON, OF MARSHFIELD, MISSOURI.

MUSIC-BOOK HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 642,725, dated February6, 1900. Application filed May 18, 1899. Serial No. 717,350. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL A. SHELTON, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Marshfield, in the county of Webster and State ofMissouri, have invented a new and useful Music-Book Holder, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in music-book holders.

The object of the present invention is to im prove the construction ofmusic-holders and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient deviceadapted to be readily applied to a piano or organ and capable of holdingbook and sheet musicand of being readily adjusted to arrange it out ofthe way, so that music may be changed or the leaves of abook freelyturned.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of amusic-holderconstructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation, the music engaging arm being thrown back out of the way. Fig.3 is a longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 4 is a detail View of thebase-plate or body.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawmgs.

1 designates a base-plate or body designed to be secured to a piano ororgan and provided at its upper portion with perforated ears or lugs 2,in which is arranged a shaft or pintle 3, forming a fulcrum for aspring-actuated music-engaging arm 4.. The plate or body 1 may be of anydesired configuration, and it is provided at its center with aperforation 5 for the reception of a screw 6 for securing it to a pianoor organ. The perforated ears or lugs 2 are located at opposite sides ofthe base or body 1, and the transverse shaft is provided at its centerwith an opening 8, forming a socket for the inner or lower end of themusic-engaging arm 4,which is secured within the said opening by aclamping-screw 9. The screw 9, which is mounted in a suitableperforation of the shaft or pintle, detachably secures themusic-engaging arm 4 to the same.

The arm 4, which carries an adjustable transverse bar or member 10, isheld in engagement with a book or piece of sheet-music by a spring 11,having a central loop 12 and provided with opposite coils 13, theterminals of the spring bearing against the upper portion of the base inthe space between the perforated ears or lugs. The base or body 1 may bemounted on a piano or organ in a horizontal or an inclined position, andas the screw 9 is disposed between the two sets of coils of the springthe latter will detain the pintle or shaft in the perforated lugs orears while the said screw 9 is in position, but as soon as the screw isremoved the shaft or pintle may be withdrawn.

One end of the shaft or pintle is provided with a disk or head 14,having notches 15 and forming a ratchet-wheel which is adapt ed to beengaged by a pivoted pawl or look-- ing-lever 15, fulcrumed between itsends at one side of the base or body and having a tooth 16 to engage theteeth or shoulders of the ratchet-head. The other end of the pawl orlever is flattened, as shown, to provide a convenient finger-piece, sothat the pawl or lever may be readily operated to engage the grip anddisengage it from the ratchet-head. The locking lever or pawl ispreferably mounted on a screw 17 but any other suitable form of pivotmay be provided.

The transverse bar or member 10, which extends laterally from oppositesides of the musicengaging arm, is adapted to bear against the two openleaves of a book or a piece of sheet-music, and it is provided at itscenter with an opening 18 for the reception of the arm 4, to which it isadj ustably secured by means of a clamping-screw 19. The clamping-screw19, which is mounted ina threaded perforation of the transverse bar ormember, engages the face of the bar or arm 4 and secures the said bar ormember 10 at the desired adjustment. The transverse bar or member may bemoved inward or outward on the arm 4 to raise and lower it, whereby amusic-book or piece of sheet-music may be engaged at the proper point.When it is desired to release the music, the arm lis swung backward andis held in such position by the locking pawl or lever, so that the musicmay be changed or the leaves of a book freely turned.

The invention has the following advantages: The music-holder, which isadapted to engage a musicbook or a piece of sheetmusic, is simple andcomparatively inexpensive in construction and may be readily applied toa piano or organ. It is capable of being readily adjusted, so that itwill engage the music properly, and it may be readily locked out of suchengagement, so that the music can be changed or the leaves of a bookfreely turned.

Changes in the form, proportion, size, and the minor details ofconstruction within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted towithout departing from the spirit or sacrificin g an y of the advantagesof this invention.

What is claimed is v 1. A music-holder comprising a base provided withopposite lugs, a shaft or pintle journaled thereon and provided betweenthe same with a socket or opening, and having a ratchet-headat one end,a spring disposed on the shaft or pintle and having a loop or engagingportion, an arm receiving the loop or engaging portion and detachablysecured in the socket or opening, and a pawl engaging the ratchet-head,substantially as described.

2. A music-holder comprising a base having opposite perforated lugsatits upper end, a fastening thu1nb-screw passing through the base, ashaft or pintle journaled on the lugs and having a ratchet-head at oneend, alocking pawl or lever mounted on the base and arranged to engagethe ratchet-head, a music-engaging arm having an adjustable transversebar, mounted on the shaft or pintle between the lugs and a coiled springdisposed on the shaft or pintle, said spring having an intermediate loopwhich engages the musicengaging arm, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL A. SH ELTON.

